For decades, teams have tried to build up buzz around their top minor-leaguers, increasing the market value (to fans and other teams alike) of those prospects, if nothing else. But Puig has put them in the position of trying to play down his promise.

"At this point, he's creating expectations he can't live up to – nobody could, to be honest with you," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said after Puig went 4 for 4 with a near-cycle against the Oakland A's on Tuesday afternoon, raising his Cactus League average to .500 (23 for 46). "And I think I need to temper that, make sure we take a realistic look."

That's a little tough to do when the manager – just three days earlier – has already compared Puig's raw talent to Bo Jackson and the general manager referenced the birth of the Bash Brothers when asked for a comparison.

"I'm going to keep it in the same context – this being spring training," Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said. "He reminds me of when (Mark) McGwire and (Jose) Canseco came up with Oakland in the late '80s.

"I was with the Cubs. We'd heard all about them. Went to (Phoenix) Municipal Stadium for a spring game and it was like, 'Whoa.'"